| Gallery, Projects and General > How do I?? |
| Hand Files and Their Handles?? |
| (1/6) > >> |
| Pete W.:
Hi there, all, This is a bit embarrassing but here goes anyway: One of the birthday presents I received yesterday is a set of ten 10" hand files. I made sure that they came with handles but, of course, the handles came separately. I've often read the advice to 'reserve your new files for use on brass'. The relevance of that advice to this post is that until now (except for a 12" Dreadnought and a 10" Millenicut) I've never had any new files! So I've rarely, if ever, had to fit a handle to a file! Now, here's the thing: The tangs of the files are tapered. The pre-drilled holes in the handles are parallel and they look too small. What do you Modders advise as the best/proper procedure to fit the handles to the files (or the files to the handles)? |
| sbwhart:
Hi Pete I assume the handles are wood if so you burn them on:- Just heat the tang to a dull red and push them into the hole, it will stink the house out and set the smoke alarm off so do it outside, when its gone over 3/4 of the way into the handle pull it out then let it cool down a bit and then tap it back in, in the same orientation as you burnt it, hold the file and give the end of the handle a bash on the top of the bench to seat it down nice and firm on the tang. If they are plastic, i assume you just bash them in but not sure on this. Stew |
| vtsteam:
Just so you know, what Stew means by bash the handle down on the bench -- you're holding the handle end when you do that, not the file end, and you're tapping the bottom of the handle down -- inertia drives the file in. Kinda like you do with a hammer with a loose head. Except they should never be loose.... Speaking of files, I have a friend who is a whitesmith. He makes fabulous locks. He does it with a small coal forge, cold chisels and files. I've seen him make a key with a hollow tubular stem that was triangular in cross section and perfectly shaped. This is what files can do in the hands of a master. |
| Stilldrillin:
Pete. Wot Stew says. Gives a perfect fit.... :thumbup: VT. That's quite an impressive padlock! (I think)...... :bugeye: David D |
| garym:
Hi Pete, If they are plastic like the Vallorbe ones that Axminster sell, then they screw on. I really like them. Gary |
| Navigation |
| Message Index |
| Next page |